Playground swing



Aug. 18, 1964 D. P. GRUDOSKI 3,145,013

PLAYGROUND SWING Filed Aug- 8. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTY.

United States Patent 3,145,013 PLAYGROUND SWING Daniel P. Grndoski,Hartstown, Pa, assignor to Blazon, Inc, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 8, 1961, Ser. No. 130,137 3 Claims. (Cl.248-379) This invention relates to playground or gymnasium equipment,and in particular relates to a support for glider-type play swings.

Heretofore, childrens glider-type swings have been provided whereintransversely spaced drop-arms were suspended from a fixedly supportedcross-piece to swing in parallelism, as maintained by a cross-barpivoted to the drop-arms at pivot points spaced above the lower endsthereof. The swinging or gliding action was controlled from seatsaifixed on opposite end extensions of the crossbar transverselyoutwardly of the drop arms, as by at least one child seated on a seatapplying requisite pressure to hand grips and foot rests provided aboveand below the pivot point on the respective drop-arm. In use of suchswings, however, it was possible for the users to injure knees or legsby bumping them on adjacent portions of the equipment, especially whenthe swing was swerved or swayed out of a vertical plane of normalswinging movement of the drop arms. This condition was sometimesaggravated due to the cross-piece becoming loose on its supporting bar.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forimniovably attaching the supporting crosspiece to the fixed supportingbar, and by which the swing will withstand severe abuse substantiallyindefinitely without the suspension fastening means becoming loose onthe supporting bar.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from thefollowing brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a playground apparatus embodying theimproved glider swing of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of one end of theswing.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section of the portion of the swing shown in FIGURE2, as viewed from the top thereof.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section of the same as viewed from the right ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevation, partly broken away, of theupper portion of the glider swing shown in FIGURES 2 to 4, substantiallyas viewed on the lines 5-5 of FIGURE 1, and with the drop-arms removedFIGURE 6 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 6-6 ofFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 7-7 ofFIGURE 5.

FIGURES 8 and 9 are top and botton plan views, respectively, of FIGURE5.

Referring to the drawings generally, and to FIGURES 1 to 4 inparticular, the numeral 10 designates a glidertype swing embodying thefeatures of the invention, supported on a top bar 11 of tubular metal,on rigid supporting frame 12 for a plurality of swings as shown inFIGURE 1.

Swing 10 includes transversely spaced drop-arms 13, 13 of tubular stockpivoted at 14, 14 on transversely opposite extensions 15, 15 of abracket 16 rigidly ailixed on top bar 11. The drop-arms are maintainedto swing in parallelism in a vertical plane, as by means of a cross-bar16a pivoted to the drop-arms at points 17, 17 spaced substantially abovethe lower ends of the same. Cross-bar 16a may be formed of a pair ofangle bars 18, 18 embracing opposite sides of the drop-arms, and havingopposite end 3,145,013 Patented Aug. 18,, 1964 ice extensions 19, 19outwardly of the respective pivots on which seats 20, 20 are aflixed.

Referring now to FIGURES 5 to 9, the bracket 16 is designed to havemaximum resistance to turning movement on the top bar 11, as well as tominimize the shearing stresses on the clamping or attaching bolts forthe same. Accordingly, the bracket may include a channelshapedcross-piece 22 having a web portion 23 and inturned side flanges 24, 24,the latter being provided with arcuate cut-outs 25, 25 for complementalengagement with the upper portion of top bar, and also includes a U-shaped clamping member 26 which is complementally engageable with theunderside of the top bar. Member 26 has transversely opposite out-turnedflanges 27, 27 engageable between the side flanges 24 and in spaced relation to the web 23. A bolt 28 is received through aligned openings inthe web 23, top bar 11, and member 26, and a nut 29 is threaded on bolt28 to clamp these parts together and to prevent the bracket from turningon the top bar. Further clamping action of member 26 and crosspiece 22on the top bar is accomplished by tightening nuts 30 on bolts 31received through each flange 27 and the web 23. This last-named clampingaction is also effective to urge edge portions of the flanges 24 intoangularly disposed cam slots 32, 32 formed in off-set shoulders 33 onthe member 26, and into tight wedging engagement with angular edges 34to lock the cross-piece 22 and member 26 against turning with respect toeach other. In other words maximum assurance is provided against turningof the bracket on the top bar 11, in any direction, and yet the bracketis removable as for storing or shipping the apparatus in knock-downcondition.

Referring again to FIGURES 1 to 4, welded or otherwise aflixed to eachdrop-arm 11, at a point above the respective pivot 17, there may be ametal tube 36 providing laterally outwardly extended hand-grip portions37, 37. At a point below the pivot a tube or cylindrical bar 38 may bereceived through each drop-arm and afiixed thereto, as by welding, toprovide foot-supporting portions 39, 39. Vertical guard rails 4t 40 oftubular stock, provided at laterally opposite sides of each drop-arm 13,have top and bottom inturned extensions 41 and 42, the top extensions 41being telescopically received within the hand-grip portions 37 and thebottom extensions 42 having the foot-supporting portions 38telescopically received there-in. Rivets or other suitable means may beused to secure the guard rails to portions 41 and 42 to maintain theguard rails in spaced relation to the respective droparms.

The arrangement is such that in use of the swing 10 a child sitting on aseat 20 may grip the portions 37 with the hands, while resting the feeton the port-ions 42, so that by application of requisite hand and footpressures the drop-arms are swingable on bracket 16 in parallelismwithin a vertical plane. For this purpose, the childs knees are freelyreceivable between the drop-arms and the respective guard rails 26 toprotect them against injury by bumping against adjacent portions of thesupporting structure.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to with out departingfrom the spirit thereof or the scope of'the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting hanger for suspension of a swing or like supportingelement from a cylindrical top bar of a playground frame, comprising achannel-shaped crosspiece having a web portion and spaced inturnedflanges; said flanges having portions shaped for complemental engagementwith the cylindrical top bar; a member engageable with the cylindricaltop bar in opposition to said cross-piece and having out-turned portionsadapted to extend between said inturned flanges and to be in spacedrelation to said web portion; adjustable means including a shank portionreceivable through said Web portion, said top bar and said member fornon-rotatably clamping the member and cross-piece together on the topbar; bolt means through said web portion and said out-turned portionsoperable to clamp the cross-piece and member on said top barindependently of said adjustable means; said member having recessedshoulder portions for reception therein of portions of said flanges ofthe cross-piece, thereby tending to resist relative rotation of themember and crosspiece; and means on said cross-piece for suspension of aswing thereon.

2. A supporting hanger as set forth in claim 1, said recessed portionsdefining angular edges wedgingly engageable by said portions of theflanges upon tightening said bolt means.

3. A Support for use on a playground or like swing comprising: ahorizontally extending bar; a horizontal cross-piece extendingtransversely of said support and having spaced flanges defining achannel portion; said cross-piece engaging said bar in one direction tohave said channel portion opening inwardly of the bar; a memberengageable with said bar in the other direction to have portions thereofsubstantially non-rotatably received between said flanges of the channelportion; means for clamping said member and cross-piece together on thebar; and means on said cross-piece and said member for locking saidmember and cross-piece against relative movement with respect to eachother and said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,286,615 Griswold June 16, 1942 2,517,207 Hugueny Aug. 1, 19502,699,201 Levy Jan. 11, 1955 3,014,683 Littmann Dec. 26, 1961

3. A SUPPORT FOR USE ON A PLAYGROUND OR LIKE SWING COMPRISING: AHORIZONTALLY EXTENDING BAR; A HORIZONTAL CROSS-PIECE EXTENDINGTRANSVERSELY OF SAID SUPPORT AND HAVING SPACED FLANGES DEFINING ACHANNEL PORTION; SAID CROSS-PIECE ENGAGING SAID BAR IN ONE DIRECTION TOHAVE SAID CHANNEL PORTION OPENING INWARDLY OF THE BAR; A MEMBERENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BAR IN THE OTHER DIRECTION TO HAVE PORTIONS THEREOFSUBSTANTIALLY NON-ROTATABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN SAID FLANGES OF THE CHANNELPORTION; MEANS FOR